Land of Ancient Civilizations and Epics

Punjab is the cradle of the Indus Valley Civilization, more than
4000 years old. Archaeological excavations, throughout the state,
have revealed evidences of the magnificent cities of Harappa and
Mohenjodaro, that lived and died along the banks of the mighty
Indus and its tributaries. The Mahabharata, which narrates life
between the 7th and 5th century BC, contains rich descriptions of
the land and people of Punjab at that time. It is believed that
parts of the Ramayana too, were written around the Shri Ram Tirath
Ashram, near Amritsar; and it was in these forests that Lav and
Kush grew up.

Other great historical discoveries have been unearthed at Ropar,
Kiratpur, Dholbaha, Rohira and Ghuram. These relics throw light on
the culture and changing architectural styles of Punjab, since the
Harappan age. At Sanghol, in Fatehgarh Sahib district near
Ludhiana, sites associated with great Mauryan Dynasty, have
yielded remarkable relics that record the presence of Buddhism in
the region.